Electric connector member with underlying tongue



June 22, 1954 H. w. BATCHELLER 2,682,040

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR MEMBER WITH UNDERLYING TONGUE.' Filed Feb. 16, 1952 Patented June 22,V 1954 ELECTRIC CONNECTOR MEMBER WITH UNDERLYING TONGUE Hugh W. Batcheller, Newton Highlands, Mass. Application February 16, 1952, Serial No. 271,948

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric connector of the type consisting of male and female members which interengage to form an electrical connection, and more particularly to the female member of such a connector. The female member is in the form of a shallow channel with overhanging flanges to receive the male member. To make a good electrical contact, the female member is provided with spring means arranged to press against the under side of the male member so a-s to press the side margins of the latter firmly against the overhanging anges. According to the present invention improved spring means are provided on the female member to press against the male member. As a further feature, the pressing means may also be made to lock the two members positively together so that they cannot be separated unless the presser member is first sprung away to release the members.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing of which- Figure 1 is a plane view of two members of an electric connector, one of which embodies they invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, in mutually connected position, a portion being broken away to show in section;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the female member in partly constructed condition;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the member shown in Figure 5 but in a partly constructed condition; Figure 7 is a side elevation of two connected members, one of which is the member shown in Figure 5, a portion being broken away to show in section; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View of the female member shown in Figure 7, apart from the male member.

The invention is embodied in the female conv nector member IIJ adapted to cooperate with a complemental male member I2, the latter comprising a. rectangular tongue having a central recess I4 in each face or an equivalent hole therethrough. The member IIJ is preferably made of sheet metal and includes a plane iioor I6 from which two side walls extend up, the upper edges of said walls I8 being provided with inturned anges which project toward each other and are spaced above the oor I6 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the member I2.

The member I0 may also be provided with claws 22 and 24 which may be clamped around the stripped end of an electric wire 26 and around the adjacent insulation 28, respectively.

Figure 4 shows the member I0 in a partly constructed condition. The floor I6 has an extension 30 at its receiving end where the member I2 is to be received. If the material of which the member I 0 is made is relatively soft, such as soft brass, the extension 30 is preferably cold worked to harden it and increase its resilience. This may be done by striking its entire area or by striking a narrow transverse area 32 at its line of juncture with the floor I6. It is then bent sharply back to underlie the licor I6 as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. Prior to bending back the extension 3U, a boss 34 is formed at or near its middle and an aperture 36 is cut or punched through the iioor I6. The boss 34 extends down' ward when it is formed in the extension so that when the latter is bent back the boss 34 projects upward and is of sufcient height to extend through the aperture 36 Iand above the plane of the top surface of the floor I6. The location of the boss relative to the sides and receiving end of the member I 0 is such as to register with one of the recesses I4 of the member I2 when the latter is inserted in the member I0 and under the flanges 20 to make a connection, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The length of the extension 30 from the boss 34 to the line of bend 32 is suicient to provide for a suitable resilient yielding of the boss downward when the member I2 is inserted in the member I0 and engages the portion of the boss which projects up above the level of the floor. When the member I0 is disconnected from the member I2, the extension 3U presses `against the under face of the oor I6 in the manner indicated in Figure 8. When the member I2 is inserted, the extension 30 is sprung downward so that there is a slight clearance between it and the under face of the floor I6 as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The boss 34 thus presses resiliently against the underface of the member I2 so as to press the side margins of this member rmly against the underfaces of the flanges 20. The boss 34 when seated in the recess I4 also acts as a detent to prevent too easy separation of the two members. y

Figures 5, 6, '7 and 8 show a modified form of the invention by which the two members of the connector are positively locked together and cannot be separated until the locking element is displaced. The female member 40 is made of sheet metal and has a plane floor portion 42 with an extension 44 at the end which receives the male member 46. The extension 44 has a portion cut out as at 48 to form a latch element 50. The latch element is bent down to project out of the plane of the extension 44 in such a way as to have an end shoulder 52 perpendicular to the plane of the extension 44. The extension 44 is then bent sharply back along a line of fold 54 so that the extension underlies the floor 42 as indicated in Figure 7, and bears against the underface of the oor, as indicated in Figure 8, when not connected with a male member 46. If the metal employed is relatively soft, the extension 44, or at least the area adjacent to the line of bend 54, is cold worked before it is bent. This increases its resilience. When the extension has been bent back under the floor 42 the latch element 50 projects up through a suitable aperture 56 which has previously been cut 0r punched in the floor 42. When the latch element is in such position, the shoulder 52 at its tip faces away from its receiving end of the member. The complemental member 46 is provided with recesses 58 in both faces or with an equivalent hole. In either case the recesses or holes have a straight transverse edge 60 which is perpendicular to the plane of the member 46. When the member 46 is inserted in the member 40 the extension 44 is sprung away from the floor of the member and the shoulder 52 catches the transverse edge 60 positively locking the two members against separation. In order to release the member 4S the extension 44 must be sprung downward to disengage the latch element 52 from the edge 50. For this purpose the extremity B2 of the extension 44 is'V preferably curved away from the floor 42 to provide a crevice for the insertion of a screw driver, knife or other convenient tool.

I claim:

1. An electric connector member attachable at one end to a conductor, said member having a plane floor with an aperture therethrough, side walls extending up from the side edges of said iioor, inturned flanges along the tops of said walls overhanging said floor, and an integral extension on the end of said floor remote from said attachable end of the member, said extension being bent sharply back to underlie said floor and aperture, said extension having an upstanding element projecting up through said aperture to a point above the level of the upper surface of said floor.

2. An electric connector member as in claim 1, said upstanding element having a shoulder facing toward the attachable end of said member.

3. An electric connector member as in claim 2, said extension having a free end portion spaced from the under face of said floor to provide a crevice for the insertion of a tool to depress' said. upstanding element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 1,509,224 Berthold Sept. 23, 1924 1,909,306 Nowosielski May 16, 1933 2,394,020 Soreny Feb. 5, 1946 2,591,009 Riche Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 539,811 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1941 

